Windmill



(No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 1. H. M. PETERSON.

WINDMILL.

Patented Oct. 12,

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. H. M. PETERSON. WINDMILL.

No. 591,775. Patented Oct. 12,1897

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3. H. M. PETERSON.

WINDMILL.

No. 591,775. Patented Oct. 12,1897.

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4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

H. M. PETERSON.

WINDMILL.

Patented Oct. 12,1897.

UNITED STATES v PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY M. PETERSON, OF HORACE, NORTH DAKOTA.

WINDMILL.

SFECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 591,775, dated October 12, 1897. Application filed October 13, 1896 Serial Tic. 608,768- (N'o model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY M; PETERSON, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Hon ace,in the county of Cass and State ofv North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WVindmills; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear,

it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to certain improvements in windmills, and more particularly to improvements in horizontally-rotatin g 'windof the wheel, rigidly secured to the shaft 17 a mills arranged on vertical shafts.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved windmill having a series of vertical turnable blades with improved automatic means for automatically opening and closing the blades as the wheel revolves.

A further object of the invention is to provide a horizontally-rotating windmill having vertical turnable blades with improved means for throwing the mill into and out of gear by shifting the relative position of the vane or tail and the blades.

A further object of the invention is to provide a horizontally-rotating windmill with an automatic regulator of an improved construction whereby the mill can be automatically thrown out of gear by an excessive pressure of wind.

A further object of the invention is to provide certain improvements in details of construction and arrangements of parts whereby an improved and highly-efficient horizontallyrotating windmill is produced.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in combinations and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter more fully and particularly explained and set forth in detail.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the mill shown in running or operative adjustment. Fig. 2 is a top plan of the parts arranged in the same positions as shown in Fig. 1, the arrow showing the-direction 'of the wind and dotted lines showing the'po'sitions of various parts. Fig. 3 is a top plan showing the mill held out of gear. Figs. 4 and 5 are top plan views with parts above the eccentric frame removed, respectively showing the positions thewheel.

' ofthe'parts when in and out of gear. Figs.

6 and 7 are detail views illustrating the regulator mechanism for throwing the mill into and out of gear and for controlling the speed of the mill.

In the drawings the reference-letter a is the supporting tower or framework of the mill.

'6 is the vertical shaft of the mill, carrying the wheel, and by which the power from the wheel is transmitted.

c is'th'e lower. horizontally-turning head of the wheel, rigidly secured to the shaft.

0 is the upper horizontally-disposed head suitable distance above the lower head.

cl are the vertical blades, parallel with each other and arranged around the periphery of Each blade has a central depending journal d at its lower end, mounted to turn in the lower head of the wheel near the periphery of said head. The blades are equally spaced and arranged around said head near the periphery thereof. The upper ends of the blades have the journals d", corresponding to and j ournaled in the upper head as the lower journals are mounted in the lower head. These journals r1 pass up through the upper head and are provided with the lateral cranks 61 with the upwardly-extendin g journals d at their ends, extending up into and journaled in the horizontally-disposed eccentric shifting framee. The frame e is arranged horizontally a distance above the upper head of the wheel, with the cranked arms or journals mounted equal distances apart therein and near the periphery thereof, so that the diameter of the circle including the bearings of said journals in frame 6 is approximately the same as the diameter of the circle including the bearings of said journals in the upper head of the wheel.

f is a shaft extending up in alinement of the wind-wheel shaft b and passing through a cross-beam of theframe or tower and turning in a journal-box a in said cross-beam. The lower end of the shaft f is stepped in a coupling between shafts 12 f, which permits the shafts turning independently of each other, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. A sleeve k loosely surrounds said shaft f and at its lower end is stepped in the box a and turns in said crossbeam of the frame, and said sleeve, in connection with the shaft f, carry the vanes and regulating devices of the wheel.

g is a pinion rigid on the lower portion of the shaft f beneath the box a and between the frame e and upper head of the wheel and concentric with the shaft 1) of the wheel.

H is a pinion usually of the same size as pinion g and turning on a journal extending up from the upper head of the wheel eccentrically to the axis on which said wheel turns, so that as the wind-wheel turns said pinion h, meshing with pinion g, moves around and is rotated by the normallystationary pinion g. 'L' is a proportionately large gear turning on a journal extending up from said upper head of the wind-wheel and constantly meshing with pinion h and rotated thereby and arranged eccentrically to the axis on which the wind-wheel turns and atits upper side having the crank-pin t", rigid therewith and journaled in and eccentrically to the shifting frame 6, arranged above said gear and pinions, and whereby the shifting frame is bodily rotated is a circular path eccentric to the axis of the wind -wheel. The shifting frame 6 preferably has a large central opening around shaft f to permit the eccentric movement of the frame around the shaft and above the wheel and as the frame isrotating with the wheel.

The mechanism provided to control the blades is so arranged that as the wheel revolves the blades on the side, moving rear-' wardly, will present their flat sides to and receive the full force of the wind, and as they move rearwardly and forwardly will gradually turn to present their edges to the wind and thus in no material way retard the rotation of the wheel. As the blades pass across the front and rear portions of the wheel in the direction of the wind the blades will be turned at different angles, respectively, to so receive the wind as to assist the rotation of the wheel.

The gearingand eccentric shifting frame are so arranged that a complete rotation of the wind-wheel causes one-half of a complete rotation of the large gear 01, eccentrically connected with said shifting frame, and as the wind-wheel revolves the shifting frame revolves or turns with it and at the same time is moved around eccentrically by the gearing, and thus gradually turns the crank-arms around with the blades to produce the action and positions of the blades,as above described, preferably so that each blade completes onehalf a revolution at every complete revolution of the entire wheel.

k is the main vane or tail, rigidly secured to and extending laterally from a sleeve is, turnable on the upper shaft f. Z is a bevelgear rigid on said shaft f above the upper end of the sleeve is, turnable on said shaft and meshing with aturnable bevel-gear m, mounted to turn on a journal m extending horizontally from and rigid with the sleeve Z is a regulator-vane extendinghorizontally from and rigid with the gear Z, rigid on the upper end of the shaft f. This regulator-vane is considerably less in area than the tail-vane of the wind-wheel, and its normal position when the mill is working is approximately atright angles to the tail-vane and transverse to the plane in which the wind is traveling, so as to receive the full force of the wind.

The turnable gear m is suitably counterweighted, preferably by means of the weighted arm m, rigid therewith and constantly tending to rotate said gear and through the medium of gear 1 to maintain'the regulatorvane in its normal position receiving the full force of the wind. The weighted arm is so arranged and proportioned as to maintain the regulator-vane in operative position until the wind increases beyond a certain power or velocity, when the force is sufficient to overcome bevel-gear m, so that the counterweighted gear m normally holds said collar at its limit of upward movement. 0 is a vertically-swinging lever pivotally joined to said collar and having a connection 0 from its free end and extending to the ground or other'point within convenient reach of an operator, so that the operator can draw down on the connection 0, and hence pull down the lever 0 and collar to throw the mill out of gear, as more fully set forth hereinafter.

As the tail of the mill shifts around with the Wind pinion g is rotated correspondingly through the medium of sleeve k, carrying the tail and turning loosely on shaft f, bevelgears Z m, and shaft f, and thereby shifts the gears traveling around and rotated by pinion g, and which eccentrically move the bladecontrolling frame.

The gearing operating the blade-controlling frame is so arranged in relation to the tail that when the mill is in gear the blades will always assume the proper angles in proper sequence whatever the posit-ion of the tail,.and so that as the tail shifts around with changes in the direction of the wind the gearing will also be properly shifted to maintain its proper relation to the tail by the means above stated, and so that the blades will assume theproper positions at the proper points, according to the'direetion of the wind.

Means are provided to throw the mill into and out of gear by turning the shaft f and pinion g and shifting the blade-controllingframe gearing out of its proper relation to the tail independently of the tail of the mill.

Where it is desired to throw the mill out of gear by hand, the lever 0 is drawn down, which rotates the pinion g and throws the blade.-

controlling parts out of operative relation to the tail and wind through the medium of sleeve n, connection it", sheave m", bevelgears m Z, and shaft findependently of the tail-vane. As soon as the lever o is released the weighted arm m will return the parts to their normal positions and properly turn all the blades to rotate the wind-wheel. If while the wind-wheel is rotating the wind increases to such a velocity as to lift the weighted arm m, the regulator-vane is forced back toward the tail-vane by the wind-pressure overcoming the force of the weighted arm, and thereby rotating the shaft f and pinion g and shifting the frame 6 to change the angles of the blades and throw them out of operative position and stop the mill. (See Fig. 3.) As the pressure of the wind decreases the weighted arm gradually overcomes the wind-pres sure on the regulator-vane, permitting said vane to assume its normal position and throw the mill into gear. The counterweighted regulator-vane in the same way controls the speed of the mill if the wind is not sufficiently strong to entirely throw the mill out of gear, for as the regulator-vane is forced back a portion of its full stroke it causes the blades to shift from their normal positions and assume positions at various angles to the wind, where under normal positions certain blades moving rearwardly would present their full fiat faces to and receive the full force of the wind.

If after continued use the various gears described become worn, the bevel-gear m can be removed from its journal m and placed on the extra similar journal m projecting from the diametrically opposite side of the sleeve 7;, the regulator-vane and its gear and shaft f and the gears g h 2 being shifted, while gear on is removed by shifting the regulatorvane to the opposite side. When the gear m is keyed in place on the journal m the parts will operate in exactly the same manner as before, but the wind-wheel will rotate in the opposite direction and all the gears will also rotate in the opposite direction, bringing into play the unworn faces of the gear-teeth.

It is evident that various changes might be made in the forms, constructions, and arrangements of the parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not limit myself to the exact construction herein set forth, but consider myself entitled to all such changes and modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Hence, having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States, 1s

1. In a windmill, the combination of a wheel having turnable blades, a movable frame car: ried by the Wheel and connected with the blades to control the same, gearing for moving said frame, a pinion independent of the wheel by which said gearing is rotated, a shaft carrying said pinion, a tail-vane mounted to turn loosely on said shaft, a bevel-gear moving with the tail-vane and yieldingly held at its limit of movement in one directioma bevelgear rigid on said shaft and meshing with said gear moving with the tail-vane, and a regulator-vane extending laterally from and rigid with said bevel-gear rigid with the shaft, substantially as described.

2. In a windmill, the combination ofa windwheel having turnable blades provided with actuating and controlling means, aframe having a cross-bea1n above the wheel, a journalbOX in said cross-beam, a vertical shaft in alineinent with the wheel-shaft and turnable independently thereof and mounted in and extending through said journal-box with its lower end stepped in the upper end of the wheel-shaft and forming the upper journal for the wheel-shaft, a sleeve loose on said vertical shaft and having its lower end stepped in said journal-box, a tail-vane carried by said sleeve, and a regulator-vane carried by said vertical shaft, substantially as described.

3. In a horizontally-rotating wind-wheel, the combination of the rotary wheel, a frame, a shaft concentric with the Wheel-axis and turnable independently thereof, a sleeve turnable on said shaft and carrying the tail-vane, two journals projecting from diametrically opposite sides of said sleeve, a counterweighted gear on one of said journals and which can be placed on eitherto reverse the wheel,wheelcontrolling mechanism comprising gearing and a regulator-vane.

4. In a windmill, the combination of a frame, a wind-wheel having turnable blades, actuating means controlling the positions of the blades and actuated by the rotation of the wheel, a tail-vane movable independently of the wheel, a regulator-vane rigid with said actuating means to control the positions of the blades independently of the tail-vane and gearing connecting the tail-vane and said actuating means and comprising a yieldinglyheld gear traveling around with the tail-vane and normally holding the regulator vane against the wind, substantially as described.

5. In a windmill, the combination of a windwheel having turnable blades, movable means controlling the positions of the blades and actuated by and comprising a normally stationary gear, a tail-vane movable independently of the wheel and connected with said gear to shift the same as the tail-vane shifts, a regulator-vane connected with said gear and arranged to shift the same independently of the tail-vane, a swinging lever or connection from the ground or other convenient point connected with said gear to shift the same in- 1 dependently of the tail-vane, and means connecting the regulator-vane and said lever and holding the same yieldingly in their normal positions, substantially as described.

6. In a windmill, the combination of a windwheel having turnable blades, controlling means shifting the positions of the blades and actuated by the rotation of the wheel, a normally stationary shaft in alinement with the Wheel-axis and connected with and controlling said controlling means, a regulator-vane rigid with said shaft, a tail-vane loose on said shaft, a yieldingly-held gear loosely connected with the tail-vane so as to rotate independently thereof but movable with the same, said gear connected with said shaft to yieldingly hold the regulator-vane in its normal position and to shift the shaft as the tail-vane shifts, substantially as described.

7. In a windmilhthe combination of a frame, a Wind-Wheel having turnable blades, means controlling said blades and actuated by the rotation of the Wheel, a shaft, normally stationary, and controlling said means and consequently the positions of the blades, a tailvane freely turnable on said shaft, a yieldingly-held gear carried by and turnable independently of said vane and geared to said shaft to turn the same as the tail-vane shifts, and a hand-operated connection or lever connected with said gear and yieldingly held in its normal position by the same and arranged to rotate said gear to turn the shaft independently of the tail-vane, substantially as described.

8. In a windmill,the combination of a frame, a wind-wheel having turnable blades, means controlling and changing the positions of the blades and comprising and controlled by a normally stationary gear, a normally stationary shaft mounted in the frame in alinement with theaxis of said Wheel and having said gear rigid therewith, a regulator-vane rigid with said shaft, a bevel-gear rigid with said shaft, a sleeve loose on the shaft, the tail-' Vane rigid with said sleeve, a bevel-gear yieldingly held in its normal position and meshin g with said bevel-gear on the shaft and journaled on the sleeve, substantially as described.

9. In a wind'milLthe combination of a frame, a Wind-Wheel having turnable blades, actuating means changing the positions of said blades and operated by the rotation of the Wheel, a normally stationary shaft controlling said actuating means, a tail-vane movable around said shaft independently of the wheel, a movable counterweighted gear movable with the vane and mounted to rotate independently of the vane and geared to rotate said shaft, a regulator-vane rigid with said shaft and yieldingly held in its normalposition by said gear, said gear having a sheave, a vertically-movable lever mounted on the frame and having connections to the sheave so that the gear and hence the shaft can be rotated through the medium of the lever,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY M. PETERSON. Witnesses:

P. H. DUSTUD, ARTHUR B. LEE. 

